Hello! I've used the 'search' tool extensively and haven't found anything that seems to fit my problem. I'm hoping someone here will have encountered the same pain and issues I have and will have some input!

I am a 37 year old right-handed 5.0 tennis player with a fairly strong serve. After taking a break from tennis for a few years (work), I dove back into it by playing 3-4 times per week and doing some minor strength training on a home gym. I had also changed from my old heavy Head racquet to a newer, lighter Wilson racquet (very stiff frame with stiff Polyester strings).

About six months ago, I started having pain on the outside of the shoulder/upper arm which I could reproduce by holding my palm downward and raising my arm upward from the side of my body. The ortho doc said I had an inflamed bursa that was impinging the tendons in my upper arm and gave me a cortisone shot. This shot masked the pain for perhaps 2 weeks. During that time, I tried more rest and some exercises geared towards folks with rotator-cuff problems. There was no change in my condition and it eventually became more painful.

At that point, I decided to try physical therapy. After two months of PT 3 times a week, my condition is worse than it has ever been. For the first two weeks, I assumed I was supposed to work through the pain and that probably made it worse. Now, I have even less mobility in the arm (can only reach a certain amount across the body - like if you wanted to scratch your back) and tennis serves and strokes hurt to the point of a stabbing pain at any point my arm is above my shoulder. It has completely ruined my game and has me very frustrated as I was finally getting back into tennis and enjoying myself.

I recently had an MRI and an arthrography done on this shoulder and no tears were apparent with only slight tendinitis. The doc noticed a small cyst on my shoulder bone that could indicate a chronic rubbing of a tendon against that area. The only two options that seem to be available to me are another cortisone shot with more PT-type exercises (the previous 2 months didn't help any, so I'm dubious) and bone decompression via shoulder arthroscopy surgery (which I'm leaning towards - they'll shave a bit of the bone away to give the inflamed tendons more room).

Has anyone here had these symptoms and gone through similar steps to the same result? Do you think that my racquet choice (stiff and light) and string choice might have contributed to my shoulder problem? I'm considering going to a more flexible racquet and string - even if it means changing the way I play. Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I am hoping to call the surgeon this coming week.

Sorry to hear about the shoulder problems, Ray. You say that inflammation is involved so I assume that you've been icing it regularly. Have you also tried ice massage?

Sounds like your racket-string combination could definitely be a significant contributing factor. I know quite a few people that have developed shoulder and other arm problems from rackets that are too light. Most of these troublesome light rackets were also very stiff. The general rule of thumb is to go with the heaviest racket that feels comfortable for you, not the lightest. Seems like a lot of ppl that were using rackets weighing under 10 oz are now opting for rackets in the 11-12 oz range.

I've also seen a number of ppl in these forums that have complained about shoulder or arm problems from using polyester strings. Apparently, some of the new polys are better than others. Ppl often use poly strings for only half of of the stringbed -- either the mains or the crosses. They will use a gut or a softer synthetic string for the other half. It is also common to string looser for polys -- at least 10% looser.

Thanks for the info! I had been icing it fairly regularly (especially after physical therapy exercises), but stopped as it just didn't seem like it was doing much at all. The physical therapists were massaging frequently during the sessions. However, they seemed to be more interested in poking their boney little fingers into the most painful areas and going "This hurts doesn't it?".

I really have enjoyed the lighter/stiffer racquets since they have improved my volleying and control. However, I think you may be correct that they're not treating my body terribly well. Along with the shoulder problems, I also have a recurring tennis elbow-ish type of pain when gripping or twisting and a lower hand/wrist pain. Even though I was using dampeners, I think the impact vibrations were rattling through my hand, up my arm, and into my shoulder.

I plan on calling the surgeon's office today, asking a few questions about the procedure, and then making an appointment for the operation. The arthroscopy seems to be the least invasive option. Since my team and I made it to the state finals (we play in late May), I might be back on my feet by then as well.

Sorry to hear about the shoulder problems, Ray. You say that inflammation is involved so I assume that you've been icing it regularly. Have you also tried ice massage?

Sounds like your racket-string combination could definitely be a significant contributing factor. I know quite a few people that have developed shoulder and other arm problems from rackets that are too light. Most of these troublesome light rackets were also very stiff. The general rule of thumb is to go with the heaviest racket that feels comfortable for you, not the lightest. Seems like a lot of ppl that were using rackets weighing under 10 oz are now opting for rackets in the 11-12 oz range.

I've also seen a number of ppl in these forums that have complained about shoulder or arm problems from using polyester strings. Apparently, some of the new polys are better than others. Ppl often use poly strings for only half of of the stringbed -- either the mains or the crosses. They will use a gut or a softer synthetic string for the other half. It is also common to string looser for polys -- at least 10% looser.

Great post. Moving to a frame in the 100 head size range, flex in the low 60s, weight 11.5 or so with a decent SW (say 320-330) and a softer string set-up would really help. I would also stay away from frames over 27 inches as that could add to your pain. Since you are a 5.0, I am guessing you swing on the faster side and have a long swing. With a frame with more mass (and softer), the frame would be doing more work and take more of the shock than with a stiffer lighter frame. Icing down after playing is also very good advice as it will help control inflammation.

Part of me is still thinking I should give my shoulder time to heal naturally. But, with the 2-3 month break I took from tennis and all the therapy, it only got worse. Guess I just need to suck it up and let em poke holes in me.

Spittle, sorry to hear about your shoulder. The first thing that should go is your stiff, light racquet and polyester strings. As a 5.0 player I am surprized that you would play with such a light racquet. Try a 11.5-12.5 racquet with a soft multi filament or even better use gut. Is the doc you saw a sports medicine specialist who's expertise is shoulders or is he a generalist? Definitely get a second opinion from a sports shoulder specialist before considering an operation-common sense 101. Its good that you had an arthegram MRI but have someone else look at it-viewing films are very subjective, what one doc sees someone else may see something entirely different. This injury should not be such a mystery if you see a shoulder specialist. Do not even consider an operation until you know exactly what the problem is backed by a second opinion. Also, did your shoulder get better after rehab regarding pain and strength, only to be reaggravated once you started playing? This would indicate a racquet and string problem. Did your pain start gradually after you made an equipment change-strings or racquet? How did the pain come on, suddenly or over time? If after rehab you did not have any improvement in strength or pain, you may have definitely torn something and need an operation. Has anyone said it might be a rotator cuff problem. I am surprized your doc gave you a cortizone shot so quickly without an Mri-sounds odd.

Thanks for the reply! I had taken a few years off from tennis and noticed that my old, heavy Head racquet was getting a little long in the tooth. Figured I'd try what all the whippersnappers were using these days. A year ago, I started back at 4.0 level and gradually worked my way up.

Initially, I went to a general practitioner (prescription of NSAIDs of course). Then, I went to a hand and upper extremity specialist three times. At the time of the first visit, all I had was a fairly mild pain on the outside of my shoulder/upper arm area. After doing various resistance exercises with the doc, he suggested that I had an inflamed bursa and should give it rest and do various exercises to strenghten the muscles surrounding the bursa. He offered to give me a cortisone shot and I accepted. One shot is my limit as I've heard what repeated shots can do.

After the second session with the hand/upper extremity specialist, he referred me to a sports surgeon that has good experience with shoulder sports injuries. Both of these specialists are with Resurgens Orthopaedics in Lawrenceville GA. Upon examining the me, the MRI, and arthogram xray, he said I had two options. I could give it time, rest more, do non-paining exercises, and see if it improves. Or I could have an arthroscopy done where they poke a few holes in my shoulder and shave a little bit of bone to give the inflamed tendons room to move and room to heal. Since I had already gone through 2 months of physical therapy while avoiding tennis with no favorable result, I'm seriously considering the surgery.

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell what exactly triggered my problem. Around the same time, I dove heavily into tennis, did a good amount of heavy yard work (120 40lb bags of stone), and did some strength training on the home gym. I'm convinced the racquets had something to do with it, but my vigorous return to activity may have contributed as well. But, yes, the pain was gradual until it got to the point that serving and overheads are fairly excruciating. Fortunately, I won't have to worry about using my current racquets (Wilson KSurge) as I have 'dispatched' them in frustration. :shock:

So far, I've had 3 doctors look at the MRI (all from Resurgens however). Their impression is that I have mild tendinosis of the supraspinatus tendon, no partial or full thickness rotator cuff tear and an intact labrum and biceps tendon. The sports specialist believes that the cyst that shows up on the MRI is from chronic rubbing of a tendon on that area.

Nothing is stopping me from taking a break for 2 months and postponing any decision about surgery until then. I'm just an impatient person lol.

Thanks again for the feedback/questions. Definitely something I need to think about.

I had a similar pain my shoulder as described in your original post. I did the cortisone injection with no relief and PT, also with no relief. I had x-rays and MRIs, which revealed an impingement. I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon for a procedure called sub-acromial decompression/distal clavicle excision, which is an arthroscopic procedure. Having received no relief from conservative treatments, I elected to have the surgery.

The surgeons shaved the underside of the acromion, cleaned out some fraying of the posterior labrum, and cleaned out the inflamed bursa.

I am now three days post-op. My shoulder a littlel sore, but I'm actually moving it around pretty good. The doctors expect I can get back on court for light rallying in two weeks, and back to serving in about a month. Best of all, the pain I had is expected to be gone...permanently.

I'd recommend considering the SAD/DCE surgery if ALL conservative methods fail. Assuming you can go without tennis for a few weeks, it may be a viable, long-term solution to get rid of your shoulder pain.

Thanks for the info, bronco_mba! I just read the other thread (near this one at the moment) and would like to get all the details that you feel might be important to know (surgery itself, rehab, etc). I'm guessing you chose to go under general anesthesia? Good to hear you went through the surgery without complication! Any info you think I might need to know, I'm all ears! Thanks again!

Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I am hoping to call the surgeon this coming week.

Many thanks,
Ray

Click to expand...

Do you feel tingling in your fingers and does your hand get numb? If so, you may have an inflammed nerve. If you stop playing for a while, the symptoms should subside. I recommend icing the shoulder constantly and if you decide to play anyway, use some sort of menthol rub before you play and make sure you ice the shoulder after you play.

I had rotator cuff repair and decompression done about 3 years ago. It took
me about 4 months to regain full range of motion and strength.

My shoulder has been absolutely pain free since then. In fact it has better
range than my non dominant shoulder. Unfortunately I can't say the same for
my elbow and wrist. I'm going tomorrow to have PRP done on both joints.

Rickson, unfortunately my symptoms seem to be much like those of bronco_mba. I can't reach across my chest to scratch the back of my other shoulder without considerable pain. Overhead motions and various twistings of the arm give me a sharp twinge in the upper front/side of the shoulder. The lowest the pain has gone is maybe halfway down my bicep/tricep on the outside of my arm. Currently, even stirring a pot of soup will give me a good bit of pain.

My problem now is trying to find a surgeon that will take the time to discuss my options. I finally decided to follow my gut feeling and give this last surgeon a pass (personality conflict, not having things explained, if I see these folks for more than 5minutes - after waiting for 75mins - I'm lucky).

Does anyone know of a good orthopedic surgeon in the Atlanta area (or even southeast)?

Rickson, unfortunately my symptoms seem to be much like those of bronco_mba. I can't reach across my chest to scratch the back of my other shoulder without considerable pain. Overhead motions and various twistings of the arm give me a sharp twinge in the upper front/side of the shoulder. The lowest the pain has gone is maybe halfway down my bicep/tricep on the outside of my arm. Currently, even stirring a pot of soup will give me a good bit of pain.

My problem now is trying to find a surgeon that will take the time to discuss my options. I finally decided to follow my gut feeling and give this last surgeon a pass (personality conflict, not having things explained, if I see these folks for more than 5minutes - after waiting for 75mins - I'm lucky).

Does anyone know of a good orthopedic surgeon in the Atlanta area (or even southeast)?

Again, thanks for all the feedback and info.

Click to expand...

Spittle, its good that you are taking your time. Find out who the top sports medicine specialists are who concentrate mainly on shoulders and schedule an appt. Before you consider an operation, know exactly what the problem is-a good specialist should be able to take the guess work out of the diagnoses and give you the best options and prognoses. Also, besides your racquet and strings, how is your technique on the serve? Have someone check that out to see if that also may have caused your problem-maybe toss not out front, hitting behind you, ect. Good luck!

I went with David J. Chao @ OASIS MSO in San Diego. My primary care doctor works with him on the San Diego Charger's medical staff and referred me.

If it were me (and it recently was), I'd go with the surgeon professional athletes go to. I ran a quick Google search for the orthopedic surgeon of the Atlanta Falcons and came up with Plas T. James, M.D. in Atlanta. From the look of his website, it appears his practice focuses primarily on the spine, but I bet with a quick call to his office they could refer you to the best shoulder surgeon in the Atlanta area. Ultimately, you may be constrained based on your insurance company, but if you get to choose your provider, why not go with the best?

A note on doctor personalities: the best surgeons don't always make the most time for their patients or have the nicest demeanor. Ultimately, I'll take the one that does the best work, gets the best results, and has the fewest complications!

Hello! I've used the 'search' tool extensively and haven't found anything that seems to fit my problem. I'm hoping someone here will have encountered the same pain and issues I have and will have some input!

I am a 37 year old right-handed 5.0 tennis player with a fairly strong serve. After taking a break from tennis for a few years (work), I dove back into it by playing 3-4 times per week and doing some minor strength training on a home gym. I had also changed from my old heavy Head racquet to a newer, lighter Wilson racquet (very stiff frame with stiff Polyester strings).

About six months ago, I started having pain on the outside of the shoulder/upper arm which I could reproduce by holding my palm downward and raising my arm upward from the side of my body. The ortho doc said I had an inflamed bursa that was impinging the tendons in my upper arm and gave me a cortisone shot. This shot masked the pain for perhaps 2 weeks. During that time, I tried more rest and some exercises geared towards folks with rotator-cuff problems. There was no change in my condition and it eventually became more painful.

At that point, I decided to try physical therapy. After two months of PT 3 times a week, my condition is worse than it has ever been. For the first two weeks, I assumed I was supposed to work through the pain and that probably made it worse. Now, I have even less mobility in the arm (can only reach a certain amount across the body - like if you wanted to scratch your back) and tennis serves and strokes hurt to the point of a stabbing pain at any point my arm is above my shoulder. It has completely ruined my game and has me very frustrated as I was finally getting back into tennis and enjoying myself.

I recently had an MRI and an arthrography done on this shoulder and no tears were apparent with only slight tendinitis. The doc noticed a small cyst on my shoulder bone that could indicate a chronic rubbing of a tendon against that area. The only two options that seem to be available to me are another cortisone shot with more PT-type exercises (the previous 2 months didn't help any, so I'm dubious) and bone decompression via shoulder arthroscopy surgery (which I'm leaning towards - they'll shave a bit of the bone away to give the inflamed tendons more room).

Has anyone here had these symptoms and gone through similar steps to the same result? Do you think that my racquet choice (stiff and light) and string choice might have contributed to my shoulder problem? I'm considering going to a more flexible racquet and string - even if it means changing the way I play. Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I am hoping to call the surgeon this coming week.

Many thanks,
Ray

Click to expand...

Ray, I just went through the surgery. My diagnosis was a partial tear of the rotator, bone spur and burcitias(?). After 8-10 weeks of rehab, I am back to playing. Good luck in what ever you choice.

I had a similar pain my shoulder as described in your original post. I did the cortisone injection with no relief and PT, also with no relief. I had x-rays and MRIs, which revealed an impingement. I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon for a procedure called sub-acromial decompression/distal clavicle excision, which is an arthroscopic procedure. Having received no relief from conservative treatments, I elected to have the surgery.

The surgeons shaved the underside of the acromion, cleaned out some fraying of the posterior labrum, and cleaned out the inflamed bursa.

I am now three days post-op. My shoulder a littlel sore, but I'm actually moving it around pretty good. The doctors expect I can get back on court for light rallying in two weeks, and back to serving in about a month. Best of all, the pain I had is expected to be gone...permanently.

I'd recommend considering the SAD/DCE surgery if ALL conservative methods fail. Assuming you can go without tennis for a few weeks, it may be a viable, long-term solution to get rid of your shoulder pain.

Click to expand...

bronco, glad to hear you're doing well after surgery and the better news is that you're not too far off from hitting the courts again. my impingement has been a long slow process but i have noticed improvement in the last month. at the advice of my physio i have stepped up the resistance on the bands i've been using for strengthening. after our next visit later this month she will recommend to my gp that i have an mri done. and thanks to canada's universal health care it will be 5-8 months before that happens so i'll continue what i've already been doing till then and see how it goes.

can i make a request that you keep a log here on the forums as to the progress of your recovery. i'm certainly and interested party.

Again, thank you all very much for your tips, information, and support! Tomorrow will be a busy day of calling various physicians and dropping the ol' pooch off for stitch removal (she recently had ACL surgery).

Take it slow with this decision. After playing and serving too much without any strength training, I just quit playing tennis for six years. After moving to Colorado, I ended up in the Ortho for the Denver Nuggets (1983) who told me I needed immediate surgery. I chose to continue my break from tennis instead.

After about three years of rest (and being bored) I started lifting lightly and properly ... and continuing my training and competing in karate which I'd started (partly) because I couldn't play tennis.

Back about 1988 I asked my Chiropractor about my shoulder problems. He examined me and determined my scapula needed adjustment (??!!!). One adjustment and I noticed a reduction in discomfort. Another, about two months later, and I found I could do everything R-handed again. (I've had one more adjustment, maybe two years after the 2nd. I haven't needed another since about 1990.

I've been playing tennis competitively for seven years now. I just wish I'd looked into what DCs can do earlier. I might have done some damage in the Open and 35s Divisions before the years caught up to me.... ::Sigh::

Now ... I'd always check to see if a DC could fix me non-surgically before I chose the knife.

This is excellent advice-go with a specialist who treats professional athletes! Thats what my friend did back a few years ago when he had rotator cuff surgery. He was very happy with the results. This doctor saw something on the MRI that other docs did not and his surgery was a success. Shoulders can be complicated compared do other joints so go with an expert who treats athletes!

I'll be sure to update my progress on post-SAD/DCE for interested parties. I don't want to bore anyone or fill up the boards with unnecessary (or unintelligible) posts!

I would agree that ALL conservative treatments should be considered/explored before electing surgery. We've added a new one (chiropractic) to the list to go along with ART, traditional physical therapy, corisone injection, stretching, exercise regime, rest, etc.

I'm not advocating surgery. However, given my experience thus far, I don't think the surgical option (arthroscopic) is as bad as one might think. The duration of the improvement (life long) and the results (no pain) certainly speak for themselves.

Good luck to the OP. I hope you're able to find a surgeon you are comfortable with, if that is the direction you decide. Please check back with the boards and let us know how things are going.

Aye, will do! I'm going to get copies of the arthrogram xray and MRI tomorrow and also make an appointment with the doctor you Googled. Turns out he's in my insurance network, so it will be covered. I shall return!

Posting an update on my recovery now two plus weeks removed from arthroscopic SAD/DCR surgery for those interested.

I regained full range of motion in the shoulder about one week after surgery. I had minimal pain on most planes of motion; the only one that really generated discomfort was reaching across the chest to touch the left shoulder with the right hand. I'm told this moves the head of the humerus in close proximity with the part of the acromion shaved during surgery. This gets less painful with each passing day, presumably as the bone heals.

Physical therapy has progressed well to date. I have been going three times per week thus far. The first two sessions were relatively easy, simple passive stretching and range of motion exercises. I have now progressed to a light weight training routine (about 3 lb dumbbell) moving the shoulder in every way imaginable. The PT also manually resists in planes of motion not amenable to weights or pulleys. PT has suggested I start practicing slow-motion serving.

I've been swinging the racquet lightly over the past few days. I have a little discomfort at the end of the backswing on forehands and a little on the follow through; 2HBH is not generating any discomfort. I'd say I'm 4 or 5 days from being back out on the court for volleying and very light rallying. I'm probably a few weeks away from resuming light serving. The PT would probably say I'm rushing, but I find he's overly conservative in his estimates of recovery time. He didn't expect me to regain full range of motion so quickly.

good to hear you're doing well bronco! i have an appointment with my PT this weekend where she will finally make the recommendation to my GP that i get on the wait list for an MRI as i haven't made any progress since our last visit.

TheShaun - I have a friend in Alberta who was delayed so long for the MRI ... what should have been an easy outpatient surgery on her back became a very serious and only partially successful event. She is in pain and has many restrictions because "the system" is so slow.

Do you have to "know somebody" to get closer to the front of the MRI line? (And hopefully you do, if so....)

KK, yes you need to know someone from what i've heard. and i do know someone but not sure if it can help in the MRI department. Unfortunately my GP of 20+ years has recently retired and i'm sure he would have been able to help. but now my file has been handed to another GP who may or may not know the difference between his *** and his elbow.

thanks for the well-wishes. i appreciate all the support and interest in my recovery. as i transition from recovery to getting back to playing, my focus will turn on developing shoulder and core strength, of which there are many useful threads. i'd appreciate input in that department.

i'm sorry to hear of your difficulties in simply getting an MRI ordered. i take for granted how efficiently i was able to move through the system after conservative options failed. please keep the boards updated on your progress, and i'll be sure to do the same.

Well I always have an injury, right now got a left shoulder with muscular problem and the right shoulder the bicep tendon was out of place and it affected muscles round it, had this problem for about 9 months. Went to a physiotherapist and they have made it a lot better, currently rehabilitating, or trying to, it is a pain, and you seem to be in a bit of a hole, much sympathy for you, it is really bad for us sportsman to have such bad injuries isn't it...

I really couldn't tell you about the racket thing, demo a few perhaps and see which is more forgiving on your body...

I just found out that I have a small posterior labrum tear today, as well as a small cyst on my shoulder. Doctor said I should do PT for 6 weeks. He said surgery will take about 4 months to up to normal again. Yikes.

I've played/quit/treated/pilled/ignored/whined a bad shoulder since the '80s, (hit an overhead off the tip of the racket, behind me, jumping...cold night etc...) back when at the time surgery was basically "cut it all apart and good luck" - so I didn't do it. I'm sure some people's goes away, but mines like an old friend.....as a result of torn tendons last year in my ankle (had surgery last Fri), got a new MRI done on the shoulder...reads "torn Labrum, superior and anterior, not including bicep tendon....fluid in the sack (bursitis), tendentious (infraspinatus tendon).....once I get past the ankle surgery, I'm sure I'll be in for the shoulder. Sometimes, they don't just go away.

Bronco, keep us posted - your experience is music to my ears....(or sundry other parts). And Spittle, beware as previously said, of the racket...during this whole mess, I'd gotten a cortisone shot in the shoulder - played great for a week with my hot-shot sophomore, using a K6.1 95 Team...love the racket, went light to help the shoulder....for my efforts, got a bad elbow, first time in 40 years......lesson there, beware playing our hard game with a light racket - the arm need some heft to the frame, or it's like throwing a tennis ball hard, versus a baseball....and trust me, the worst of my aches and pains is the elbow.

Please keep the boards apprised of your shoulder situation; I think there is a fair amount of interest in individual experiences with shoulder surgery on the boards. It sounds like from the MRI report you are looking at a more extensive shoulder surgery than I had.

For those tracking my progress, I'm now nearly six weeks post arthroscopic SAD/DCR. I've been out to hit 6 or 7 times now; two more sessions planned this week. It has been absolutely wonderful to get back to the comeraderie and competition inherent in the wonderful game of tennis.

I am no longer having discomfort on forehands or volleys. I have been doing slow serving motions without the ball; I anticipate light serving in another week to two weeks. I was discharged from physical therapy earlier this week (9 total sessions) with instructions to add motion (serves/overheads) as my shoulder allows. At this point, the shoulder is strong, I'm simply waiting for the bone to heal. I can already tell I'm going to be able to go all out on serves, overheads and forehands without any fear of pain once I'm completely healed.

I'm targeting to get back to my mixed doubles team for a match on 3/30. I will continue to keep interested posters apprised of my progress on this thread.

Thanks Bronco, I'll post a bit more after I see the Doc next week - surgery pains gone, now just a nuisance, crutches and all that fun. I'm hoping my shoulder might fall nearer to yours then it sounds.....at least at the moment, your results sound enticing...

Another update: My partner showed up late to our hitting session last night. While waiting, I decided to hit a few serves. I started out tentative, timing was off a little, and I was expecting pain/discomfort in the shoulder. After hitting five or ten serves, I thought to myself that things felt pretty good. So I gradually ramped up the pace. I ended up hitting about 30 serves before my partner showed.

All I can say is, "wow!" The flat serves were jumping off the strings, kickers were jumping and slices were spinning out wide. Best of all, NO PAIN! I kept waiting for it, but it never showed. I was expecting to want to cut my arm off when I woke up this morning, but it felt good.

My recovery has gone better and faster than expected. The more I get back out on court, the more convinced I am that my pre-op shoulder was holding back from progressing; almost like the shoulder pain was preventing me from going for my serves and shots.

I've got a ways to go before the shoulder is completely healed, but I'm already starting to enjoy the advantages of playing pain free.

I'm back to unrestricted playing @ 40 days post-op. I played three sets of doubles last night, with very good results. The rust showed a bit on timing, but it was great to get out and compete.

Admittedly, the shoulder was pretty tired in the third set; I had to back off my serve quite a bit. Physical conditioning seems to be the limiting factor. Waking up this morning, the shoulder was just fine. Too bad I can't say the same for my abs, back, etc.!

I play one more time this week before heading out to Indian Wells for the Pacific Life Open. If anyone else is attending, let me know!

I've entered a singles tourney in early April to better guage the progress of my shoulder before heading into Spring League.

I am in a similar situation as you. I am 35 now. Since graduating high school in 1991, where I was on a tennis team, I had not played regularly since then. So in 2006 at the age of 34 I decided to make the effort to get into playing more. I have had similar shoulder issues as you, however, my symptoms have not gotten as bad as your's sound yet. I was wondering if you may want to share via e-mail what remedies you have tried, and I can let you know what I have tried that helps. I would also be curious to know if you did get the surgery and if it has helped. If you are interested, feel free to email me at doulers@hotmail.com. Thanks.

I had a shoulder MRI... Low grade tear of spurpinatus tendon..with resultant mild to moderate bursitis. Ortho recommended PT, NSAID..not surgery...Gave me a cortisone injection.
He didn't specify how much/often to take the ibuprofen...said it would depend on pain...
I do know that NSAIDs also reduce imflammation... So I wonder if any of you have taken 800 mg prescrip ibu 2-3 times for a similar imflammation situation.

I had a shoulder MRI... Low grade tear of spurpinatus tendon..with resultant mild to moderate bursitis. Ortho recommended PT, NSAID..not surgery...Gave me a cortisone injection.
He didn't specify how much/often to take the ibuprofen...said it would depend on pain...
I do know that NSAIDs also reduce imflammation... So I wonder if any of you have taken 800 mg prescrip ibu 2-3 times for a similar imflammation situation.

thank you,
ken

Click to expand...

My doc said the same thing. Do PT for 6 weeks. So far PT is working out, the pain isn't as bad. I feel my shoulder is a lot stronger. Make sure you put ice after each session of tennis.

Hey folks! Well, it's been a whirlwind so far and I see no light at the end of the tunnel yet. Here's a little update as pertains to my shoulder issues/remedies.

After waiting about 5 weeks to see the shoulder specialist for the Atlanta Braves, he studied my MRIs and took another set of xrays for giggles. According to him, the bone that they normally shave off during the arthroscopic surgery is 'perfect' in my case (the underside of the bone that's on top of your shoulder). I have no abnormality that would be contributing to tendon impingement and the Doc recommended physical therapy instead of surgery at this point.

As a test, he injected me with a diagnostic fluid into the bursa that duplicates the results of a cortisone shot but only for a few minutes. For this doctor, a determining factor whether or not to do surgery is to see if there is less pain after the injection. In my case, there was no change in the pain whatsoever - still felt stabbing on the outer arm when raising it laterally away from my body and a dull pain on the inner right shoulder when reaching across my body to scratch my left shoulder. He prescribed some PT with the specialists that do the PT for the Atlanta Braves pitchers. (The only reason I mention these folks deal with the Braves is that they ought to know what they're doing)

I had my first appointment with them this last Thursday. I had explained to the therapist that I had 6 weeks of 3x/week PT in November and December with no improvement and actual worsening of symptoms. After doing various tests and having my range of motion measured, he had some interesting tidbits of information regarding my situation.

It seems that the muscles in the front of my arm (pecs, front of right shoulder, above shoulder) are overdeveloped in comparison with the girly muscles around my shoulder blade. This problem is causing my entire scapula (the shoulder blade and the boney 'roof' above your shoulder - will call the roof 'upper scapula' from now on) to pivot forward since the rear muscles aren't able to compensate properly for the pull that the front ones have on it. This pivoting is forcing the forward edge of the upper scapula to dip closer to the humerus (upper arm bone) and squeezing the tendons that slide inbetween the two.

So, I am doing various exercises to strengthen the muscles that surround my right shoulder blade at the moment. I've only been doing it for a few days now, but I *think* I can already sense a difference as to where my shoulder rests. I'll be doing 2 weeks of this type of exercise and then progressing to more weight, I assume. I'm told it will still be several weeks before my symptoms start to disappear.

I certainly hope these doctors are on the right track with me. After my first bout of PT, I'm a bit skeptical that MORE of it will do me any good. But, I'm willing to give it the old college try! Thanks again for all the great tips and recommendations from those on the board.

I did have one quick question: Can anyone recommend a good cold/ice shoulder wrap? I'm looking for something that will totally surround the shoulder with icy goodness for after exercises and, eventually, tennis. Thanks!